Suzanna Marie Sadler, a Western Kentucky University student from Cadiz, was awarded the Dr. Randall Harper Award for Outstanding Research in Physics & Astronomy from the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the WKU Ogden College of Science & Engineering Student Awards Reception on Sunday, April 10, at the Carroll Knicely Conference Center in Bowling Green.

Suzanna is a junior physics and mathematics major at WKU who is presently working under the direction of Dr. Louis Strolger in the area of extra-galactic cosmology, focusing on Type Ia supernovae and their progenitor environments.

She started this research while a student in the Gatton Academy of Math and Sciences at WKU and has given presentations on her recent work at the Southeastern Section of the American Physical Society and National Conference on Undergraduate Research within the past academic year.

Her academic accomplishments include regular recognition on the Dean’s List or President’s List and a recent invitation to join the National Physics Honor Society Sigma Pi Sigma.

Suzanna is also very active in service activities in the department and presently serves as the President-Elect for the WKU Chapter of the Society of Physics Students. Following graduation from WKU Suzanna plans to attend graduate school in astronomy or astrophysics to continue her studies in extra-galactic cosmology.

The Dr. Randall Harper Award for Outstanding Research in Physics and Astronomy is awarded to the junior or senior student with research exhibiting significance, effort, originality and creativity, and is made possible through the efforts of the College Heights Foundation.

This press release was submitted by Bruce Kessler, associate dean of the Ogden College of Science and Engineering of Western Kentucky University.